SEBA to allow COVID-infected students to sit for HSLC exam in isolation

Guwahati: The Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA), is leaving no stone unturned to hold the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) and Assam High Madrassa (AHM) exams 2022 without any glitches amidst the pandemic situation.

In what comes as a big relief to all stakeholders, the board has, among other key measures, decided to allow students contracting the COVID-19 virus to physically appear in the exams 2022 at the assigned centres in isolation to ensure that no student is affected by any circumstance.

The Board chairman, during a key meeting with representatives of the All Assam Students Union (AASU), informed the students union that all preparations have been made to meet any eventuality to ensure that the exam schedule does not get postponed or cancelled like last year.

“The board has informed that the HSLC/AHM exams 2022 will take place in accordance with the schedule and by following the COVID-19 protocols. Significantly, the board has decided to allow any student who might contract coronavirus at that time to physically appear in an isolated room away from other students at the examination centres,” AASU general secretary Shankarjyoti Baruah informed.

The HSLC and AHM exams (Class 10 board exams) in Assam are scheduled from March 15, 2022. Altogether, 4, 32,884 students will appear in the HSLC/AHM exam across 903 examination centres.

“Keeping in mind the need for physical distancing in the pandemic situation, the Board has set up 25 additional exam centres. We have been informed there would be a revised syllabus covering 60 per cent of it, the pattern of which has been distributed among the candidates. The subject papers however will carry a total of 100 marks each,” Baruah said.

The AASU general secretary, while expressing satisfaction at SEBA’s preparedness, said the board was ready for any situation and even if the COVID status aggravates, alternative methods will be in place to ensure that there are no disruptions in the exam process.

Last year, the Assam education department had to cancel the HSLC/AHM examination, after postponing the exam earlier, given the precarious pandemic situation and instead adhere to an alternate method of evaluation.

The evaluation process was completed on the basis of information provided by school evaluation committees and district-level scrutiny committees.

After consultations with various stakeholders, the department also decided not to announce any merit list or ranks. The results were declared on July 30, 2021.

Meanwhile, parents of candidates have expressed relief over the Board’s decision.

“It was difficult for students to cope with the uncertain situation last year for a key exam like matriculation, even as an alternative approach was devised to give grades instead of ranks. Let’s hope that the exam process is smooth this year,” Sabita Das, a parent, told EastMojo on Saturday.

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